Should I hire a MERN developer hourly or full-time?

Full-time dedicated (176 hours/month) is better value for ongoing product work with a continuous roadmap. 15 to 20% lower effective hourly rate, deep codebase context, no scheduling overhead. Hourly makes sense for a specific defined feature, a short-term sprint, or a consulting session. Most Acquaint Softtech clients start with a one-month hourly trial to assess fit, then convert to full-time dedicated.